The present invention relates to coaxial cable connection apparatus and in particular to anti-torque microwave cable connection apparatus.
Cable connectors typically consist of a cable adaptor and a nut coaxially and rotatably mounted around the adaptor. An end of a cable to be connected might be rigidly attached to the cable adaptor by means of a stiff solder joint, for example. The nut can be rotatably tightened to urge the cable adaptor and the attached cable toward a mating device such as a terminal or such as a sleeve coupled to another adaptor as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,147,057, entitled "Coaxial Connector". When the nut is tightened to the terminal or sleeve, torque is frictionally transmitted to the adaptor and thence to any solder joint between the cable and the adaptor. This transmitted torque poses a particular problem in coaxial cables having a solid tubular outer conductor soldered to the adaptor. The transmitted torque weakens the solder joint. If the joint breaks when torque is applied, the failure is readily apparent. If the joint does not break immediately, the strain-induced weakness may cause the solder joint to fail at a later date.
This problem has been approached by resoldering the joint when it breaks. An important obstacle to the use of preventative measures has been the lack of a convenient tool for tightening the nut while immobilizing the solder joint, especially in light of the fact that the terminals or sleeves to which the cable connectors are to be tightened may be in locations that are accessible only with difficulty. It is understood by one skilled in the art that although solder joints are specifically referred to herein, any inelastic, fragile or brittle joint between a cable adaptor and a cable, such as an inflexible adhesive joint, would present similar problems and be similarly susceptible to the solution of the present invention. It is also understood by one skilled in the art that while coaxial cables having a solid outer conductor are specified herein, the present invention could also be applied to coaxial cables having a braided outer conductor.